Moscow Oil Refinery Ablaze After Ukrainian Drone Strike
Poinews.com – Russian officials confirmed that a drone attack damaged an oil refinery in the Kapotnya district of southeast Moscow, though no injuries were reported. The incident was shared by Moscow’s mayor, Sergey Sobyanin, on the state-run Maks platform, noting that “one drone targeted the Moscow oil refinery facility” and that the area remained unaffected in terms of casualties. He also mentioned that 60 drones aimed at Moscow were intercepted on Tuesday, as reported by TASS, marking one of the largest attacks on the capital this year.
Ukrainian Leadership Claims Responsibility
President Volodymyr Zelensky asserted that Ukraine carried out the strike, positioning it as a demonstration of long-range military capability. “This time, the Moscow region experienced the reach of Ukraine’s long-range weapons,” he wrote on social media, accompanied by footage of a drone flying over residential areas before striking an industrial site near a red-and-white chimney. Zelensky framed the action as a justified retaliation against Russian strikes and the prolonged conflict.
“This is a just response to Russian attacks—and to the dragging out of a war that must end,” Zelensky stated.
Context of Recent Strikes
The assault followed a previous day when Kyiv claimed Russia deployed over 600 drones and 70 missiles across Ukraine, resulting in at least 11 fatalities and damaging a historic Orthodox monastery in the capital. The Pechersk Lavra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, saw part of the Dormition Cathedral’s roof and dome destroyed, which Zelensky labeled “one of Russia’s most serious crimes against Christian culture.” Ukrainian security services found remnants of two Geran-2 drones at the complex.
Russia Blames Patriot Missiles
Russia denied involvement, attributing the incident to a US-made Patriot missile instead. However, they provided no evidence to back this claim. The country has conducted near-daily aerial strikes on Ukraine since its full-scale invasion began in 2022. In recent months, Kyiv has intensified retaliatory operations against Russian infrastructure, focusing on oil refineries and export facilities to disrupt Moscow’s war funding.
